Automatic car-stake.



mu mm m I 8 05 J. a; SMITH.

AUTOMATIC OAR STAKE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

III

rnz NORRIS Pn'zws cm, WASHINGTON. n. c.

onrrnn srarns r rnnr onnron.

JOHN G. SMITH, OF TYRCONNELL, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR F ONE-HALF TO HUGHG. SMITH, 0F TYRCONNELL, WEST VIRGINIA.

AUTOMATIC CAR-STAKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

Application filed August 8, 1910. i Serial No. 576,058.

To all whom it may concern:

1 'tain new and useful Improvements in Auto- 1 matlc Car-Stakes, ofwhich the followmg 1s a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide ,a flat car with means forsimultaneously locking and holding in place the stakes or standards ateither side of the car, and for simultaneously unlocking and releasingthem to permit dumping a load of logs, lumber, 01' other similar objectscarried by the car.

The invention will be hereinafter described with reference to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of the specification, and willthen be particularly pointed out in the appended claims. a In saiddrawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a car embodying m'y mvention; Fig.2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section, partlyin elevation; Fig. at is a transverse section through one of the stakesor standards.

In the car selected for illustrating my invention, four stakes 01'standards are provided at either side of the car, it being understoodthat I do not limit myself to any particular number.

1 is the car body, and 2 denotes the stakes or standards. Upon the carplatform, trans verse bunks or bolsters 3 are arranged be tween oppositepairs of stakes or standards 2.

The car standards or stakes 2 are hollow, and each of them contains avertically movable rack-bar 4, provided with teeth on both of its sides.On one side the rack-bar engages pinions or cog-wheels 5 and 6 in thestandard, the axes of which pinions are formed with hooks 7 projectingthrough lateral openings in the standard. The foot of each standard isformed on its inner side with a coupling lug 8 which engages in acoupling notch 9 therefor in the end of the bunk 3. The upper lip of thecoupling notch 9 consists of a movable dog 10 shaped to engage thecoupling lug 8 and lock the same in place, on substantially theprinciple of a car coupling. Chains or cables 11 and 12 attached to thebunks or stakes or standards, and the cams 16 control I the dogs 10.

The operation is as follows: When the shafts 13 are in the positionshown in Fig! 3, the cams 16 bear npwirdly against the tail members ofthe dogs 10, and hold said dogs in fixed locking engagement with thecoupling lugs 8 on the feet of the stakes or standards 2; and the hooks7 to which the chains or cables 11 and 12 are attached project in adirection to prevent disenga ement of said chains or cables. IVhen it isdesired to release and dump a load of logs or other similar objectscarried by the car, the shaft 13 at that side of the car at which it isdesired to dump the load, is operated. By turning the shaft in thedirection indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, the cam 16 is removed fromand releases the dog 10, and the same movement of the gear wheel 15operates the rack 1 which turns the pinions 5 and 6, and thereby turnsthe hooks 7 in a direction to disengage the chains or cables 11 and 12.This operation unlocks and releases the stakes or standards at the sideof the car at which it is desired to dump the load, allowing said stakesor standards to drop down and permitting the load to fall. In Fig. 1-the hooks 7 are shown in their released position, and indicated bydotted lines in holding position.

To prevent losing the stakes or standards when released, the stakes atone side of the car may -be connected with those at the other side ofthe car by cables 17 hooked into eyes in the upper ends of the stakes.

To facllitate unloading by gravity, inclined or wedge-like members 18may be set upon the bunks 3 with the inclination in the direction of theside of the car at which it is desired to unload.

The stakes or standards are or may be individually constructed withopposite side members a and front and back members 7) and 0. The frontmember 6 is between the side members and is secured thereto by a boltpassing through the lugs (Z. The back member is placed upon the rearedges of the side members and is secured by bolts or screws in the log0.

As various modifications may be made in details of construction andarrangement of parts without departing from the invention; I do notdesire to restrict myself to the particular construction shown anddescribed.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In a flat car having, in combination with the car-body, detachableside stakes or standards, interlocking or coupling devices between thecar-body and said stakes or standards, cables attached to the carbodyand movable hooks on said stakes for engagement by said cables, andcontrolling I means for simultaneously disengaging said hooks from saidcables and unlocking the stakes at a side of the car.

2. A flat car having, in combination with the car-body, detachable sidestakes or standards, the latter provided with movable racks and pinionsengaged thereby, said pinions carrying hooks for engaging cablesattached to the car-body, and a longitudinal operating shaft having gearwheels controlling said racks.

3. A flat car having, in combination with the car-body, detachable sidestakes or standards, the latter provided with movable racks and pinionsengaged thereby, said pinions carrying hooks for engaging cablesattached to the car-body, interlocking coupling devices between thecar-body and the stakes, and a longitudinal operating shaft havinggear-wheels in mesh with said racks and having means for controllingsaid interlocking devices.

4. A flat car having, in combination with the car-body, detachable sidestakes or standards, the latter provided with movable racks and pinionsengaged thereby, said pinions carrying hooks for engaging cablesattached to the car-body, coupling lugs on the feet of the standards,coacting coupling dogs on the car-body, and a longitudinal shaft havinggear wheels in mesh with said racks and cams for controlling said dogs.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN G. SMITH.

Vitnesses CHAS. E. RIORDON, J OSEPI-I G. STACK.

